God found by those who sought Him not; judgment on the idolaters, but 'new heavens and a new earth,' where the wolf and the lamb feed together on His holy mountain.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
I gave access to them that asked not for Me, I was at hand to them that sought Me not; I said: ‘Behold Me, behold Me’, to a nation that was not called by My name.
verse value 4097
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "to·not" (לְלֹ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·was·resorted·to" (נִדְרַ֙שְׁתִּי֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 115: they, they. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "I·was·resorted·to" (נִדְרַ֙שְׁתִּי֙), "to·not" (לְל֣וֹא), "I·was·found" (נִמְצֵ֖אתִי). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "I·utteranced" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "to·a·nation" (root איל, 114x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sought·Me', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: נִדְרַ֙שְׁתִּי֙ [I·was·resorted·to] (964) + לְל֣וֹא [to·not] (67) + שָׁאָ֔לוּ [asked] (337) + נִמְצֵ֖אתִי [I·was·found] (591) + לְלֹ֣א [to·not] (61) + בִקְשֻׁ֑נִי [sought·Me] (462) + אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ [I·utteranced] (651) + הִנֵּ֣נִי [they] (115) + הִנֵּ֔נִי [they] (115) + אֶל־גּ֖וֹי [to·a·nation] (50) + לֹא־קֹרָ֥א [not·called] (332) + בִשְׁמִֽי [in·my·name] (352) = 4097.
Rashi
I was sought by those who did not ask. The Holy One, blessed be He, responds to Him: It is impossible not to take vengeance upon them, for I made Myself available to them, reproving them through My prophets — yet they did not ask.
"I said, Here I am, here I am. Return to Me, and I am ready to receive."
"To a nation that does not call upon My name" – [referring to a nation] that did not desire to be called by My name.
Ibn Ezra
I was sought after. Behold, the answer of God: “Your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I was sought after, but I found Myself in distress, to a people who did not ask that I should find them.”
"I said, Here I am, here I am." Repeatedly, through the prophets:
"He does not call." He was not called by My name in those days, but rather by the name of Baal.
Radak
I was sought. And behold, God responds to the children of the exile, saying that because of the sins of their ancestors, which were severe, for they served foreign gods, and because of their own sins in exile, for they transgressed the commandments, the exile was prolonged so greatly. And He said, “I was sought” without their seeking Me; “I was sought” by your ancestors, if they had sought Me, yet they did not seek Me. And He repeated the matter in different words, tripling and quadrupling the matter, saying, “I was found,” and saying, “I said,” and saying, “I stretched out My hand.” And all of this is to strengthen the matter, for many times He sent to them through the hands of the prophets, saying, “Return to Me, and I will return to you,” and similar to this matter.
"He does not call by My name." This is as if to say: Just as he is not called by My name, so too he does not turn to Me.
Metzudat David
I was sought after. It is as if God responds to the exiles regarding their complaint, saying: How can I redeem you? Did I not make Myself available to be sought in times of distress? Yet it was to no avail, for it was by a people who did not ask to seek Me.
"I found myself." I made Myself available to be found, and it was to no avail, for they were a people who did not seek Me. The repetition of these words many times serves to emphasize the matter and its persistence, for I sent many prophets to bring them back to what is good, but it was of no effect.
"I said, 'Here I am.' To receive Your prayer:"
"to a nation." This means: but it was to a nation that did not wish to call upon My name.
Malbim
I was sought after, like a mighty man rousing from slumber, the One who opens His eyes and gazes with His Holy Spirit, — against “Will You be silent, and afflict us so sorely?” You reply to us, saying: Why complain against Me? Say that I restrained Myself, that I averted My gaze. Was I not sought after? But this was to those who did not ask. Was I not sought after by them through My prophets? But they did not inquire of the mouth of the prophet through whom I would seek them out. And more than this, was I not found to fulfill their request? But this was to those who did not seek Me, to a people who did not seek Me. And more than this, I even said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ as if I were standing ready for whatever they would command, so that they would not need to seek Me or pursue Me. But this was to a nation that did not call upon My Name, who did not wish to be called by My Name anymore, to be called the people of the God of Israel. And more than this, I even...”
I have spread out My hands all the day to a rebellious people, that walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts;
verse value 3133
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 48 letters. Verse gematria: 3133 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "my·hands" (יָדַ֛י, 3 letters) and the longest is "their·thoughts" (מַחְשְׁבֹתֵיהֶֽם, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "I·spread·forth" (פֵּרַ֧שְׂתִּי), "stubborn" (סוֹרֵ֑ר), "not·good" (לֹא־ט֔וֹב). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·the·day" (root יום, 124x in Isaiah); "to·people" (root איל, 114x in Isaiah); "my·hands" (root יד, 79x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'stubborn', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: פֵּרַ֧שְׂתִּי [I·spread·forth] (990) + יָדַ֛י [my·hands] (24) + כׇּל־הַיּ֖וֹם [all·the·day] (111) + אֶל־עַ֣ם [to·people] (141) + סוֹרֵ֑ר [stubborn] (466) + הַהֹֽלְכִים֙ [that·go] (110) + הַדֶּ֣רֶךְ [way] (229) + לֹא־ט֔וֹב [not·good] (48) + אַחַ֖ר [after] (209) + מַחְשְׁבֹתֵיהֶֽם [their·thoughts] (805) = 3133.
Rashi
“I have spread out My hands.” In order to receive them in repentance.
Rebellious. He has turned away from the path:
Ibn Ezra
I was sought [corrected to: I spread out]. Rabbi Moses the Cohen said that the first verse refers to the nations of the world, and the reason is that even to the Gentiles who were not called by My name, I was sought; but to My people, I stretched out (or: spread out) My hand, and the reason is that I will accept them.
The way. It drags itself and others with it; and so is the way of a bad path, as it is said: "and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Genesis 2:9).
Radak
“I stretched out My hands” – to receive them in repentance, if they so desire. And the Targum translates: “I sent forth My prophets, etc.”
"Not good." This means an evil path, and so too is the usage of the language, as in "He shall stand on a path that is not good," "which is not pure," "which is not pure," and similar expressions.
Metzudat David
I spread out My hands. That they may draw near to Me, and I will accept their repentance, like a person who signals to his companion to come to him.
“An obstinate people.” But it was an obstinate people, who walked in ways that were not good, following the thoughts of their hearts.
Metzudat Zion
A rebellious [son]. [One who is] twisted and perverse; and likewise, a rebellious and stubborn son (Deuteronomy 21:18):
Malbim
“I stretched out my hands and walked toward them; I sought them, I inquired after them—not just once, but all day long, every day continually. Yet this was with a rebellious and obstinate people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own thoughts. The evil way in which they walk, they did not walk in it through error or mistake, but rather according to their thoughts, in accordance with their deliberations: for after they had considered and examined which path they should choose, they chose for themselves the evil path, stemming from heresy and denial [of faith].”
A people that provoke Me to My face continually, that sacrifice in gardens, and burn incense upon bricks;
verse value 2635
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "the·people" (הָעָ֗ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·bricks" (עַל־הַלְּבֵנִֽים, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "that·provoke" (הַמַּכְעִסִ֥ים), "sacrifice" (זֹֽבְחִים֙), "in·the·gardens" (בַּגַּנּ֔וֹת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "to·My·face" (root פנים, 88x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'continually', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: הָעָ֗ם [the·people] (115) + הַמַּכְעִסִ֥ים [that·provoke] (245) + אֹתִ֛י [me] (411) + עַל־פָּנַ֖י [to·My·face] (240) + תָּמִ֑יד [continually] (454) + זֹֽבְחִים֙ [sacrifice] (67) + בַּגַּנּ֔וֹת [in·the·gardens] (461) + וּֽמְקַטְּרִ֖ים [and·burn·incense] (405) + עַל־הַלְּבֵנִֽים [upon·the·bricks] (237) = 2635.
Rashi
They sacrifice in the orchards. They appoint idolaters in their orchards, and there they burn incense upon the white stones.
Ibn Ezra
“The people who provoke Me to My face.” Like a servant who provokes his master, and the master sees him with his own eyes.
"Sacrificing in gardens." [Referring] to idolatry:
Radak
“The people, before My face.” This means that in Jerusalem, even in the Temple, they committed abominations.
"בגנות" – just as it was customary under every pleasant tree.
On the bricks. When they were burning the bricks, they would place incense upon them for the sake of idolatry.
Metzudat David
“The people.” These are the people who provoke anger, etc.
“Upon the face.” In My presence, in Jerusalem, the place of the Divine Presence, they sacrificed. To idolatry:
“Regarding the gardens.” Their practice was to place an idol within the gardens, and similarly it is stated: “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens” (below, 66).
"On the bricks." At the time when they burned the bricks, they would place incense upon them for the sake of idolatry.
Metzudat Zion
“Al penei” – “Before.” And similarly, “Al peneikha yevarekhkha” (“Before you He shall bless you”) (Job 1:11).
The bricks: They are made of clay and are fired in a kiln to be used in construction.
Malbim
“The people” — not only do they sin, but they also act to provoke Me openly, before My face, the Face that watches and sees all their abominations. For they offer sacrifices in the disgrace of idolatry and burn incense upon the stones. Since they conceal themselves from human beings and are afraid to erect altars for idolatry in public, for in the sight of people they sanctify themselves, as if they were God-fearing, they burn incense upon the stones so that no one will notice them. And in this way they provoke Me openly, as if they commit sins only before Me, such that only I know of them, I and not another.
That sit among the graves, and lodge in the vaults; that eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
verse value 3069
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "flesh" (בְּשַׂ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·the·vaults" (וּבַנְּצוּרִ֖ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 106: they·will·lodge, the·ones·who·eat. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "in·the·graves" (בַּקְּבָרִ֔ים), "and·in·the·vaults" (וּבַנְּצוּרִ֖ים), "they·will·lodge" (יָלִ֑ינוּ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·dwell" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah); "the·ones·who·eat" (root אכל, 55x in Isaiah); "flesh" (root בשר, 24x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root חזיר ("hog") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·lodge', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words.
Rashi
Those who sit in graves. That the spirit of impurity of demons should rest upon them:
"And those under siege." These are the corpses of the dead, who are considered as though they are under siege, unable to go out.
"And the broth of the unclean things." This refers to a disgusting sauce, as it is written: "and he poured out the broth" (Judges 6:20).
Ibn Ezra
Those who sit [to consult] the dead and the words of familiar spirits:
And concerning those who are besieged: [They are] desolate, like a besieged city (Isaiah 1:8):
Those who eat the flesh of the pig to provoke Me to anger:
And "marq." It is well known, as in "and he poured out the broth" (Judges 6:20). And it is written "ve-parq." These are two names for the same meaning.
Radak
“Those who sit in graves.” To consult the dead; and the Targum: “Who sit in houses,” etc.
"And lodge in secret places." [This means] they lodge in the ruins at night, so that the demons will appear to them, according to their belief, for the harmful spirits are seen in the ruins by those who believe in them. And similarly, "to resettle the desolate places (netzurei) of Israel" (Isaiah 49:6) is a matter of ruins. And the Targum [translates]: "dwelling with the corpses of the sons of men."
Regarding the flesh of swine: one transgresses all that is forbidden in the Torah.
"And the carcasses of unclean animals." This includes all other unclean animals, creeping things, and swarming creatures, and they are all detestable and loathsome.
And “marak” (broth). It is like the phrase “and the broth poured out,” because it is the residue of the flesh, and their vessels are visible in that fat adhering to them, and a person can recognize that pork and detestable creatures were cooked in it, even if they wish to deny it and claim that they did not eat them. And it is written “ve-paraq” (and he shall break), and the matter is one.
Metzudat David
Those who sit in graves. That the spirit of impurity of demons should rest upon them:
"And those who were besieged shall remain." They remained among the corpses of the dead, who were unable to leave their place, just like those who are under siege. And this is a double expression of what is stated:
And the broth of unclean animals, their vessels [become unclean]. All their vessels are absorbed with a disgusting liquid from a source of impurity.
Metzudat Zion
And in the besieged. From the language of a siege, like “as a besieged city” (above 1:8):
And the broth. A sauce from the cooking of the meat, as it is written: "and he poured out the broth" (Judges 6).
Piggulim. The matter of "detestable" is like that of piggul, as it is stated: "It shall not be accepted" (Leviticus 19:7).
Malbim
Those who dwell in graves, and even more than this, for in the fortified places they lodge—the defiled sites to which the carcasses of animals are cast—there they lodge to hide themselves from human beings, and there they eat pork in a place where no one sees, and their broth and their vessels are steeped in the gravy of forbidden things, eating unclean foods in a defiled place, hidden from human beings; only upon the surface do I see them there.
That say: ‘Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than you’; these are a smoke in My nose, a fire that burns all the day. .
verse value 3744
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֚לֶּה) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 3744 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·come·near·me" (אַל־תִּגַּשׁ־בִּ֖י, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "approach" (קְרַ֣ב), "do·not·come·near·me" (אַל־תִּגַּשׁ־בִּ֖י), "I·consecrated·you" (קְדַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who·say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "all·the·day" (root יום, 124x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·consecrated·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ [who·say] (296) + קְרַ֣ב [approach] (302) + אֵלֶ֔יךָ [to·you] (61) + אַל־תִּגַּשׁ־בִּ֖י [do·not·come·near·me] (746) + כִּ֣י [for] (30) + קְדַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ [I·consecrated·you] (834) + אֵ֚לֶּה [these] (36) + עָשָׁ֣ן [smoke] (420) + בְּאַפִּ֔י [in·my·nose] (93) + אֵ֥שׁ [fire] (301) + יֹקֶ֖דֶת [burning] (514) + כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם [all·the·day] (111) = 3744.
Rashi
"Who say" — to the righteous — "Keep to yourself": stand where you are, and do not come near me.
"For I have sanctified you." "For I am more sanctified and pure than you"—so too does the Targum [render it].
"These. The abominations which they committed—behold, they have become smoke in My anger."
Ibn Ezra
Those who say. They [themselves] are impure, yet they say to others who have not eaten swine's flesh [keep away]:
"Draw near to you." Just as it says, "Approach you."
"For I have sanctified you." It is an intransitive verb, like "my children have gone forth from me" (Jeremiah 10:20). And so it means: "For I am sanctified from you," i.e., "I am holier than you."
"These. They placed smoke in My nostrils:"
Radak
Those who say: They are unclean, and they eat all that is unclean, and they say to anyone who is clean, “I am purer than you.”
“Draw near to You.” That is to say: Stand on your own; do not draw near to Me.
"Draw not near to Me, for I have sanctified you." I am holier than you.
"These" — those who committed these evil deeds and did not recognize in themselves that they had done evil, they cause smoke to rise in My face.
“A burning fire.” In My anger against them and against their seed after them; therefore, the exile was prolonged for their children for a long time.
Metzudat David
“The ones who say”: To those who do not eat from [their] foods, they should say: “Come to your place, to stand in your place; do not come to touch me, for I am holier than you, and do not make me impure.”
"These are the words that caused smoke to rise from My nostrils, so that My anger burned all day like a blazing fire."
Metzudat Zion
Smoke. The term denotes anger, as in “smoke went up from His nostrils” (Psalms 18:9).
Yekidah. Burning, as in "a fire shall ever be kept burning" (Leviticus 6:6).
Malbim
Those who say, “And concerning all these impurities, which they render themselves impure in secret, they present themselves as holy and pure before people, to the extent that they tell the rest of the people: ‘Do not draw near to them, and do not touch them because of their holiness.’” And this is what the verse says: “Draw near to you, to your boundary, and do not approach me, to my boundary, for I have sanctified you” — if you were to touch me, they consider themselves so holy that anyone who touches them would become sanctified, like the principle that “everyone who touches the altar becomes sanctified.” And they think that all people are impure in their eyes, and it is forbidden for them to touch them, like one who touches a sacred object. These hypocrites are smoke in My nostrils, by the fire that burns all day because of their sin.
Behold, it is written before Me; I will not keep silence, except I have requited, Indeed, I will requite into their bosom,
verse value 2903
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "if·I·have·requited" (אִם־שִׁלַּ֔מְתִּי, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "written" (כְתוּבָ֖ה), "if·I·have·requited" (אִם־שִׁלַּ֔מְתִּי), "and·I·will·requite" (וְשִׁלַּמְתִּ֖י). The root שלם appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "but" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "to·my·face" (root פנים, 88x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·my·face', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: הִנֵּ֥ה [they] (60) + כְתוּבָ֖ה [written] (433) + לְפָנָ֑י [to·my·face] (170) + לֹ֤א [not] (31) + אֶֽחֱשֶׁה֙ [I·will·be·silent] (314) + כִּ֣י [but] (30) + אִם־שִׁלַּ֔מְתִּי [if·I·have·requited] (821) + וְשִׁלַּמְתִּ֖י [and·I·will·requite] (786) + עַל־חֵיקָֽם [into·their·bosom] (258) = 2903.
Rashi
Behold, it is written—their sin is before Me; their decree has already been issued and sealed.
Ibn Ezra
"Behold, etc." – This evil that they committed was written before Me; I have not forgotten it.
Radak
Behold, it is written. The great sin is not erased; rather, it is written before Me to be remembered always.
"I will not be silent. I will not remain quiet:"
"Only if I have paid." Until I pay them back, the payment for the evils of their fathers, which joins with their own sins, [causes] the exile. But the primary cause is the sins of their fathers, which are greater.
"And I will repay them into their own laps." Even though I am destined to repay their recompense to their children after them, from now on I will repay them themselves for the evil they have done. And the Targum translates it this way: "Behold, it is written before [Me], etc."
Metzudat David
Behold, it is written before Me. The evils that they did are written before Me and have not been forgotten:
I will not be silent. I will not remain mute regarding them, but rather I will repay their recompense, and the recompense shall be upon their own laps, and not to their children after them.
Metzudat Zion
Echesheh. The matter of silence:
“Upon their laps.” This means upon themselves and their flesh.
Malbim
Here it is written before Me, and not as one who writes for remembrance for distant times, for the ultimate purpose of the writing is so that I not remain silent until I have exacted payment; through the writing, I shall be aroused from it continually, so that I cannot remain silent until after I have exacted their punishment. And it is not that I shall exact their punishment upon the bosom of their children, but rather “and I will exact payment upon their bosom”—the payment shall be to them themselves.
Your own iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, says Hashem, that have offered upon the mountains, and blasphemed Me upon the hills; therefore will I first measure their wage into their bosom.
verse value 5949
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 82 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "said" (אָמַ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·the·hills" (וְעַל־הַגְּבָע֖וֹת, 9 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "your·iniquities" (עֲ֠וֺנֹֽתֵיכֶ֠ם), "and·iniquities·of" (וַעֲוֺנֹ֨ת), "your·fathers" (אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֤ם). The root עון appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "upon·the·mountains" (root על, 200x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·have·reproached·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Rashi
"Your iniquities." Yours and those of your fathers together, I will repay you.
Ibn Ezra
"Your iniquities, etc." And behold, you have added iniquities to the iniquities of your fathers. The meaning of "first" is that your fathers went into exile because of idolatry.
Radak
“Your sins and the sins of your fathers together.” That is to say, these joined with those, and they prolonged your exile.
"Which they incensed" – that very evil deed: they denied Me and served idolatry. This is what is meant by "They have reproached Me," for when they served on the hills, they reproached Me and despised Me, and denied Me, for I had commanded them not to serve idolatry, for one who serves idolatry denies the fundamental principle of faith.
And their measurements, their action is first to their laps. Initially, they measured themselves, their action to their laps, and afterwards to their sons. The first is written el and read al, and the second is written al and read el, to their laps.
Metzudat David
“Your iniquities.” The payment of retribution will be for your iniquities and for the iniquities of your fathers together.
"Which they burned." To idols:
"Those who reproach me." In that they served there idolatry with great publicity:
"And I will measure." Initially, I will measure into their lap the recompense for their deeds, and afterward I will exact from them the iniquity of their fathers, since they clung to the deeds of their fathers.
Metzudat Zion
"Those who reproach me." The word is derived from "cheruf" and "gduf," meaning reproach and reviling.
“and I will measure.” From the root meaning “to measure.”
Malbim
“Your iniquity”—but to them I will also repay the iniquity of their fathers. The measure of the verse, “I will repay into their laps your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers,” is that I will repay you both together. For the iniquity of your fathers was in the open, without deception of the mind, for they offered incense upon the mountains and upon the hills, and they reviled Me. They did not do so in secret places, nor in tombs and hidden spots, as you do. (And the text depicts that they stood upon the mountain to offer incense to idolatry, and upon the hill beneath the mountain they stood to revile and blaspheme.) Therefore, you shall bear the iniquity of your fathers. But, “and you have practiced their deeds first into their laps”—first I will reckon their deeds against them, and afterward I will repay them also for the iniquity of their fathers. For their deed is greater, since it was done with hypocrisy and flattery.
Thus says Hashem: As, when wine is found in the cluster, One says: ‘Destroy it not, For a blessing is in it’; So will I do for My servants’ sakes, That I may not destroy all.
verse value 5878
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 77 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֣ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·destroy·it" (אַל־תַּשְׁחִיתֵ֔הוּ, 9 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "wine" (הַתִּירוֹשׁ֙), "in·the·cluster" (בָּֽאֶשְׁכּ֔וֹל), "do·not·destroy·it" (אַל־תַּשְׁחִיתֵ֔הוּ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 7 words.
Rashi
"As the must is found in the cluster." The Targum: "Just as Noah the righteous was found in the generation of the flood."
"The new wine." This is Noah, who was sweet.
"In a cluster." In the generation of bereavement, and one may resolve it according to its literal meaning:
"For the sake of My servant." For the sake of every single righteous person who is found among them.
Ibn Ezra
"Thus." Nevertheless, in those days it will be as when the new wine is found in the cluster, and one person says to his companion, “Do not destroy it,” and he replies, “For there is a blessing in it.” So too, I will do for the sake of My servants, the righteous of Israel, in exile, so that all will not be destroyed.
Radak
Thus says the Lord. The word “Thus” is directed toward the children of the exile, saying: Do not despair because of this that I have spoken concerning the redemption, for even though I will repay you for the sin of your fathers by prolonging your exile due to their sins along with your sins, I will not abandon you. Rather, in any case, I will bring you out of the exile and return you to your land after your punishment is completed. And He compared this to a cluster of grapes that has ripened in order to extract its wine from it. If someone comes to destroy it, his companion says to him: Do not destroy it, for there is blessing in it, for there is wine in it, which is a blessing and good. And even though there are seeds and stems in it that have no blessing, because of the wine that is in it, leave it. So too, Israel: even though there are sinners among them, there are righteous ones among them who are a blessing to the world, and because of the righteous ones, it is not fitting to destroy them. Rather, just as one does with a cluster of grapes—treading it to extract the wine and discarding the seeds and stems—so too will God do with Israel: He will bring them out of the exile when their time arrives and refine them along the way, as it is written in the prophecy of Ezekiel: “And I will remove from you the rebellious and those who transgress against Me,” etc. And Jonathan rendered similarly: “Thus says the Lord: as [the new wine] is found [in the cluster],” etc.
Metzudat David
"As it shall be found." This means: nevertheless, do not despair of the redemption, for just as when one finds in a cluster of grapes berries that are fully ripe, fit for making wine from them:
And it is said. This means: If one wishes to destroy it, let the one who says, "Do not destroy it," respond that it contains wine, which is a blessing and good. Even though it contains seeds and stems, which are not a blessing, nevertheless, leave it because of the wine.
"For the sake of My servants." The righteous ones who are among them:
"So that I might not destroy everything." In general, I will not destroy everything on account of My righteous servants.
Metzudat Zion
The new wine. This is wine, as it is stated: “your new wine and your oil” (Deuteronomy 11:14).
“On the cluster.” A branch consisting of grape berries, as it is written: “And a cluster of grapes” (Numbers 13:23).
Blessing. This means a good thing:
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: (This is the conclusion of the entire prophecy, which concerned the future, detailing how they sinned against the Lord in their exile, and therefore their exile was prolonged because He found no merit in them to redeem them, and the Lord will punish the transgressors of Israel, but the righteous will remain and they will be saved, as it is stated, "And when I have brought you into the crucible, I will try you as silver is tried," etc.) As one finds fresh wine in a cluster: A vine that is entirely blighted and has produced rotten clusters, if fresh wine is found in one cluster, meaning one cluster remained from the vine that was not blighted, then the owner of the vine will say, "Do not destroy it, since there is blessing in it, namely, the one cluster that produces grapes." So too, I will do for the sake of My righteous servants, so as not to destroy everything, but only
And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of My mountains; and Mine elect shall inherit it, And My servants shall dwell there.
verse value 3404
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "seed" (זֶ֔רַע, 3 letters) and the longest is "shall·dwell·there" (יִשְׁכְּנוּ־שָֽׁמָּה, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·will·bring·out" (וְהוֹצֵאתִ֤י), "from·Jacob" (מִֽיַּעֲקֹב֙), "inheriting" (יוֹרֵ֣שׁ). The root ירש appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·my·servants" (root עבד, 48x in Isaiah); "and·will·bring·out" (root יצא, 42x in Isaiah); "from·Jacob" (root יעקב, 42x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·mountains', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהוֹצֵאתִ֤י [and·will·bring·out] (518) + מִֽיַּעֲקֹב֙ [from·Jacob] (222) + זֶ֔רַע [seed] (277) + וּמִֽיהוּדָ֖ה [and·from·Judah] (76) + יוֹרֵ֣שׁ [inheriting] (516) + הָרָ֑י [my·mountains] (215) + וִירֵשׁ֣וּהָ [and·they·shall·possess·it] (527) + בְחִירַ֔י [chosen] (230) + וַעֲבָדַ֖י [and·my·servants] (92) + יִשְׁכְּנוּ־שָֽׁמָּה [shall·dwell·there] (731) = 3404.
Ibn Ezra
"And I will bring forth" etc. That they will go out into exile, and they are the righteous ones, and the proof is that He said, "My chosen ones":
Radak
“And I will bring forth from Jacob a seed.” The term “seed” denotes a blessed seed, namely, the seed that is worthy of Jacob, and the ten tribes are included in the general category of Jacob.
And from Judah. He included Benjamin in this, since they constituted one kingdom and were exiled together. He mentioned the two exiles so that even the Ten Tribes, who did not return from their initial exile, would not despair; rather, he assures them that they too will yet return to their land and inherit it. And he said, "the mountains," which means Mount Zion and the Temple Mount, which are located in the portion of Judah.
Metzudat David
"Seed." This means: a seed of blessing that is fitting for Jacob.
“Heir is the mountain.” The Mount Zion and the Temple Mount, and the chosen ones shall inherit it. The people whom I have chosen for Myself—they shall inherit the inheritance that I promised them, namely the Land of Israel.
They shall dwell there. And they shall no longer be exiled from it:
Malbim
“And I will bring them out from Jacob” — meaning, from the Ten Tribes, I will bring forth a good seed; and from the tribe of Judah, I will bring forth an heir. Behold, Zion was allotted to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, for they were united in the monarchy, and the chosen ones of the tribes will take their portion in the land. And My servants, the priests and the Levites, servants of the Lord, who did not take a portion in the land, will dwell there and establish their residence there.
And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for My people that have sought Me;
verse value 3176
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 44 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "cattle" (בָּקָ֑ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·fold·of·flocks" (לִנְוֵה־צֹ֔אן, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "for·fold·of·flocks" (לִנְוֵה־צֹ֔אן), "and·valley·of" (וְעֵ֥מֶק), "Achor" (עָכ֖וֹר). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "that" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "for·my·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'cattle', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֤ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + הַשָּׁרוֹן֙ [the·Sharon] (561) + לִנְוֵה־צֹ֔אן [for·fold·of·flocks] (232) + וְעֵ֥מֶק [and·valley·of] (216) + עָכ֖וֹר [Achor] (296) + לְרֵ֣בֶץ [for·a·resting-place·of] (322) + בָּקָ֑ר [cattle] (302) + לְעַמִּ֖י [for·my·people] (150) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + דְּרָשֽׁוּנִי [have·sought·Me] (570) = 3176.
Rashi
The Sharon. The name of a district that was in the Land of Israel.
And the valley of Achor. According to its plain meaning:
Ibn Ezra
"And it shall be." The Valley of Achor was surrounding Jerusalem. And it is written, "the Valley of Achor for a door of hope" (Hosea 2:17). And many said that it is in the sense of "the one who troubles Israel" (1 Kings 18:17). But there is no need [for this explanation].
"Who have sought Me." For He will remember that they sought Me, besides [all else].
Radak
"And Sharon shall be a fold for flocks," as it was, because it is a place of pasture; and so it is written, "And upon the cattle they shall feed in Sharon."
"And the valley of Achor shall be a place of folding for the flock." Likewise, the valleys will be places where the cattle lie down and graze there as they did before, but even better, for they will lie down in safety and will not fear the enemy; and the valleys are also places of pasture. And the reason that he mentioned "the valley of Achor" is because it originally had a derogatory name; therefore he said further that this name will no longer be remembered, for it will be called "the valley of blessing" because the cattle lie down there. And similarly Hosea said, "And the valley of Achor shall be a door of hope for them." And to whom will all this blessing be? To My people who seek Me, and not to those who have forsaken Me. Therefore, he said after it:
Metzudat David
“And Sharon shall be a dwelling place for flocks.” A place of level ground and fertile land shall be for a dwelling place for flocks, for there they shall graze as before, and it shall not be a desolation as it was in the time of the exile.
And the muddy valley. Even the muddy and corrupted valleys shall be for the lying down of cattle, for there they shall lie down and there they shall feed in a rich pasture.
To My people. All this good will be for My people, who sought Me while they were in exile and did not abandon the Lord.
Metzudat Zion
Sharon. A place that is level and fertile, as it says, “like the shepherds in Sharon” (1 Chronicles 27:29). Leno. The meaning is a dwelling place.
And the valley of Achor. A valley that is spoiled; and similarly, “and the valley of Achor for the entrance of hope” (Hosea 2:17).
“Larbotz.” From the root of “rebitzah,” which means to lie down in order to rest.
Malbim
“And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks,” as it is further stated, “It shall be a pasture for shepherds who feed their flocks” (Jeremiah 33:12). And the Valley of Achor is called so on account of its ruins; it shall be a resting place for cattle. But this shall be only for My people who seek Me, who are the righteous ones, but
But you that forsake Hashem, That forget My holy mountain, That prepare a table for Fortune, And that offer mingled wine in full measure to Destiny,
verse value 3197
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for·Fortune" (לַגַּד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·that·fill" (וְהַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "forsakers·of" (עֹזְבֵ֣י), "that·forget" (הַשְּׁכֵחִ֖ים), "the·mountain" (אֶת־הַ֣ר). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·you" (root אתה, 50x in Isaiah); "my·holiness" (root קדש, 32x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·holiness', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְאַתֶּם֙ [and·you] (447) + עֹזְבֵ֣י [forsakers·of] (89) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + הַשְּׁכֵחִ֖ים [that·forget] (383) + אֶת־הַ֣ר [the·mountain] (606) + קׇדְשִׁ֑י [my·holiness] (414) + הַעֹרְכִ֤ים [that·arrange] (345) + לַגַּד֙ [for·Fortune] (37) + שֻׁלְחָ֔ן [table] (388) + וְהַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים [and·that·fill] (172) + לַמְנִ֥י [to·Destiny] (130) + מִמְסָֽךְ [mixed drink] (160) = 3197.
Rashi
"Those who forsake the Lord." The wicked of Israel who clung to idolatry and died in their wickedness.
Those who arrange [a table] for "Gad." It is the name of an idol made in the name of the planet of fortune; and in the language of the Mishnah there is: "gad gaddi ve-sinnuk lo" ["be lucky, my luck, and weary not" — a heathen incantation].
“Lemaneh.” Lemaneh: According to the number, the priests would fill the bowls with mixed wine.
"Mimasek." Wine mixed with water according to its proper measure, as it is said, "to search out mixed wine" (Proverbs 23:30), "she has mixed her wine" (ibid. 9). And some interpret "la-Meni" as an idol that you appointed over yourselves; but "u-maniti etkhem" (Isaiah 65:12), which is not vocalized "u-minniti" with a dagesh, shows that it is a term of counting [destining].
Ibn Ezra
"And you" – the forgetful ones; this is a descriptive term on the pattern of "yirayim" (1 Samuel 23:3).
Regarding “Gad”: [It refers to] the host of heaven. And Rabbi Moses the Kohen said that “Gad” is the planet Jupiter, which indicates every good thing, for such is the language of the Chaldeans. And he said that there is no other like it save “ba gad — fortune has come” (Genesis 30:11).
“Leman.” Some say that it refers to the form of the celestial sphere, for every form has a known number of stars, and Rabbi Moses the Priest said that it is the name of a star.
"From a mixture." It is derived from the root of "she has mixed her wine" (Proverbs 9:2).
Radak
"And you, the forsakers of the Lord." This is stated in contrast to the men of that generation who served idolatry; they were consumed by their wickedness, both they and their souls, and they will not behold the good of Israel in the future, as it is said: "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake" (Daniel 12:2). "Many" implies not all, but only the righteous.
“Those who forget.” It is a descriptive term; it says: “They are those who forget the holy mountain, which is the Temple, to offer sacrifices upon it.”
“Those who arrange a table for Gad.” “Gad” means “fortune,” i.e., they offer sacrifices to the fortune among the constellations. And Rabbi Moses ha-Kohen said that it is the planet Jupiter, for so it is called in Arabic.
“And those who fill for Meni from the libation.” And likewise, “they fill,” meaning they complete [the measure] from the wine libation, namely, the libation for Meni, which is the name of a star. And there are those who explain [it] as referring to the stars, which are counted, and they are the seven wandering stars.
Metzudat David
"And you." But you, who abandon the Lord and deny Him:
“The forgetful.” Those who forgot the Temple and did not remember that it is only there that sacrifices are fit to be offered.
“Those who arrange.” “Those who prepared food on the table to offer to Gad, which is the planet Jupiter, and who filled mixed wine to pour as a libation to Mani, which is also the name of a planet.”
Metzudat Zion
Those who arrange. The matter of the arrangement:
To Gad. According to the calculation of the names of the stars:
From the word “memasek.” “Mixed wine,” as in: “to search out mixed wine” (Proverbs 27:6).
Malbim
“You, the wicked who have forsaken the Lord, who have forgotten My holy mountain, who have denied the coming of the Redeemer—only those who set a table for Gad do you care for. Bands gather to eat and drink, and those who fill their cups from the goblet assemble in full groups; and from each group, a number of people gather in a gang to drink wine. You chase after pleasures and do not look to the work of the Lord.”
I will destine you to the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, you did not answer, when I spoke, you did not hear; But you did that which was evil in Mine eyes, And chose that wherein I delighted not.
verse value 8006
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 87 letters. The shortest word is "because" (יַ֤עַן, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·I·desire" (לֹֽא־חָפַ֖צְתִּי, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 37: and·not, and·not. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·will·destine" (וּמָנִ֨יתִי), "to·the·sword" (לַחֶ֗רֶב), "and·your·them" (וְכֻלְּכֶם֙). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "and·in·which" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "you·heard" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·heard', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 6 words.
Ibn Ezra
And I will number them. It is a refined way of speaking in the Holy Tongue to say: “Gad, a troop shall overcome him” (Genesis 49:19); “Dan shall judge his people” (ibid. 49:16). And because it said “to number,” it says after it “and I will number them,” from the root of counting, like “by means of a counter” (Jeremiah 33:13).
Radak
“Umaniti” – this is a case of one word playing upon another, a stylistic device of elegance, as in “Gad gadud yigodenu” (Gad shall be a troop, and they shall troop against him), “Dan yadin am” (Dan shall judge his people), and “Ve’akaron ta’aker” (and Ekron shall be uprooted). Since the text previously said “lemani” (for Meni), it here says “umaniti” (and I have numbered), meaning: You serve the numbering of the stars, and I shall number you for the sword, and not one shall be lacking. And similarly, He says afterward: “You shall all fall by the sword, because…”
"And in that which I did not desire." This was a rebellion to provoke anger, for you chose that which I did not desire.
Metzudat David
"And I have numbered you for the sword." In the numbering, I will deliver you to the sword, so that none of you will be missing.
"And you all shall fall by the sword." Not a single person is excluded from the count.
“Because.” Because I called to you through the hand of My servants the prophets, to abandon that way, and you did not answer, saying, “We will abandon this evil way.”
"And as for that which." In the matter that I did not desire, you have chosen for yourselves.
Metzudat Zion
And "umanyeti" – from the language of counting and numbering:
"To slaughter." The matter of ritual slaughter:
“Tachre’u.” The meaning is falling upon the knees:
“You answered.” From the language of “affliction” and “answer.”
Malbim
And I will count you, just as you count a measure for wine, so I will count you with a measure for the sword. And it is not that the counting is to kill only some of you, but rather all of you will fall to slaughter. The counting will be so that not one of you will be missing who does not fall by the sword. For I called you to come to Me to hear My words, and you did not answer; and also afterward I came to you and spoke My words to you, and you did not listen, for you stopped your ears from hearing the word. “And you did evil in My eyes” — in [violating] the negative commandments; and since you chose what I did not desire—the commandments that you chose for yourselves to perform are commandments that I did not desire, but only what you devised from your own heart.
Therefore thus says the Lord Hashem: Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed;
verse value 5306
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 77 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵ֞ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "thus·says" (כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 447: and·you, and·you, and·you. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "you·will·be·hungry" (תִּרְעָ֔בוּ), "they·will·drink" (יִשְׁתּ֖וּ), "you·will·be·thirsty" (תִּצְמָ֑אוּ). The root הן appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "thus·says" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "they" (root הן, 86x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·will·be·thirsty', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 5 words.
Rashi
My servants, the righteous ones (of Israel):
"And you." Those who transgress against Me:
Ibn Ezra
Therefore, etc. “My servants” – these are those who return to Zion.
“And you.” Those who remain, who did not serve the Lord, shall remain in their evil.
Radak
Therefore, thus says the Lord. What is stated above this refers to that generation in which the prophet lived, as we have explained, who were serving idolatry. And if this passage were also stated against them, this would not be feasible, for all of them went into exile, both the righteous and the wicked. Moreover, even among the righteous, some died by the sword, as it is written: “You have given the carcasses of Your servants as food for the birds of the heavens, the flesh of Your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.” Rather, what is stated, “And I will make you fall by the sword,” refers to the utterly wicked who provoke God through idolatry; it states that not one of them remained who did not die by the sword. But the others—the righteous and those who are not completely righteous—went into exile. And although some of the righteous died, regarding the matter of “no faith, and no knowledge of the Lord,” what He did, one should not speculate about it.
And if we were to say that this passage refers to those who returned from exile, as it is written, “I will refine them when they come up from exile,” this does not connect with what is written above. Furthermore, it says, “And you shall hunger,” and it did not say, “And you,” but rather refers to those whom He mentioned. Therefore, it seems correct to me that these verses were stated metaphorically concerning the reward of the World to Come. He first stated that He punished them in this world, “And I will make you fall by the sword,” and now He states that He punished them in the World to Come, saying, “Behold, My servants shall eat.” This means that their intellectual soul will attain the highest wisdom in the knowledge of God, and this attainment is the pleasure of the soul, just as eating and drinking are the pleasure of the body. And similarly, it is stated metaphorically: “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters,” and it says, “Come, buy and eat,” and it says, “Hear to Me, and eat that which is good.” All of this is a metaphor for wisdom. And it is written: “He was not hungry for bread, nor thirsty for water, but only to hear the word of the Lord.” And similarly, “My soul thirsts for God.” And likewise, in the Book of Proverbs, there are many such statements. And our Sages of blessed memory also compared the reward of the World to Come and its punishment to this matter, and they also brought these verses as proof.
They said: We learned there, Rabbi Eliezer says, “Repent one day before your death.” His students said to him, “Does a person know on which day he will die?” He said to them, “All the more so should he repent today, lest he die tomorrow, and thus all his days will be in repentance.” And even Solomon said in his wisdom: “Let your garments be always white,” referring to repentance and good deeds. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said: It is like a parable of a king who summoned his servants but did not set a time for them. The prudent among them adorned themselves and sat at the gate of the king’s house, saying, “Is the king’s house lacking anything?” The foolish among them went and did work, saying, “Is there a feast without labor?” Suddenly, the king sought his servants. These entered adorned, and these entered while they were soiled. The king rejoiced before the prudent and was angry before the foolish. He said, “These shall sit and eat, and these shall stand and watch.” Ze’vai, the son-in-law of Rabbi Meir, in the name of Rabbi Meir, says: Even they appear as if they are serving, but both these and these sit; these eat and these hunger; these drink and these thirst. As it is said: “Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall hunger; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall thirst.”
Metzudat David
"Therefore, etc." This means that in addition to the punishment you will receive in this world, you will also receive punishment in the World to Come. For My righteous servants will eat; this means they will delight in the radiance of the Divine Presence. Similarly, "And they beheld God, and they ate and drank" (Exodus 24:11); this means that they delighted in the radiance of the Divine Presence as if they had eaten and drunk.
"And you." But you, who have abandoned the Lord, will be hungry for this pleasure, for you will not merit it.
"Behold, My servants shall drink, etc." The duplication of the matter in the words "and you shall be ashamed" is on account of the fact that you have wronged the Lord.
Malbim
Therefore, against those who prepare the table for Gad, behold, My servants shall eat, etc.; against those who fill the cup for Meni, behold, My servants shall drink; against those who have forsaken the Lord, behold, My servants shall rejoice in the Lord, and you shall be ashamed of the gods whom you have chosen.
Behold, My servants shall sing For joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And shall wail for vexation of spirit.
verse value 2957
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 46 letters. Notable word values: "my·servants" (עֲבָדַ֛י) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "heart" (לֵ֑ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "you·shall·wail" (תְּיֵלִֽילוּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 32: heart, heart. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "of·the·best·of" (מִטּ֣וּב), "you·will·cry" (תִּצְעֲקוּ֙), "pain" (מִכְּאֵ֣ב). The root לב appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they" (root הן, 86x in Isaiah); "and·you" (root אתה, 50x in Isaiah); "my·servants" (root עבד, 48x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words. Full calculation: הִנֵּ֧ה [they] (60) + עֲבָדַ֛י [my·servants] (86) + יָרֹ֖נּוּ [let·them·shout·for·joy] (266) + מִטּ֣וּב [of·the·best·of] (57) + לֵ֑ב [heart] (32) + וְאַתֶּ֤ם [and·you] (447) + תִּצְעֲקוּ֙ [you·will·cry] (666) + מִכְּאֵ֣ב [pain] (63) + לֵ֔ב [heart] (32) + וּמִשֵּׁ֥בֶר [and·from·breaking·of] (548) + ר֖וּחַ [spirit] (214) + תְּיֵלִֽילוּ [you·shall·wail] (486) = 2957.
Ibn Ezra
“Let them wail.” It ought to have a patach under the tav, following the pattern of “Let your eyes look directly before you” (Proverbs 4:25), and similarly “He knows from afar” (Psalms 138:6) and “He does not do good to the widow” (Job 24:21).
Radak
“Behold, My servant.” The custom of the meal is that after eating and drinking, they are merry — they rejoice and sing and raise their voices in songs. But their outcry shall be the opposite: for the raising of the voice of “My servant” shall be from a good heart, whereas your raising of voice shall be from a broken heart and a crushed spirit, and your voice shall be a voice of wailing.
Metzudat David
“From a good heart.” From the cause of a good heart:
And from the word "breaking." From the cause of the breaking of spirit, they will engage in lamentation:
Metzudat Zion
And from the breaking of the spirit. This means: distress and mourning.
tililu. From the word for lamentation:
Malbim
Behold, concerning those who forget My holy mountain—behold, My servants shall rejoice over the building of Zion, and they shall not sing over your distress, but rather out of a good heart. And you shall cry out from a pained heart—that is, from external anguish—and from a broken spirit you shall wail—that is, from internal spiritual desolation—when you see that your hope has perished.
And you shall leave your name for a curse to Mine elect: ‘So may the Lord Hashem slay you’; But He shall call His servants by another name;
verse value 3142
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "name" (שֵׁ֥ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·his·servants" (וְלַעֲבָדָ֥יו, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·you·shall·leave" (וְהִנַּחְתֶּ֨ם), "your·name" (שִׁמְכֶ֤ם), "to·oath" (לִשְׁבוּעָה֙). The root שם appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "will·call" (root קרא, 84x in Isaiah); "your·name" (root שם, 83x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהִנַּחְתֶּ֨ם [and·you·shall·leave] (509) + שִׁמְכֶ֤ם [your·name] (400) + לִשְׁבוּעָה֙ [to·oath] (413) + לִבְחִירַ֔י [to·My·chosen] (260) + וֶהֱמִֽיתְךָ֖ [and·He·will·slay·you] (481) + אֲדֹנָ֣י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וְלַעֲבָדָ֥יו [and·to·his·servants] (128) + יִקְרָ֖א [will·call] (311) + שֵׁ֥ם [name] (340) + אַחֵֽר [another] (209) = 3142.
Rashi
"Your name is an oath." One invokes from your name a curse and an oath for generations, if they do not bring about [the same fate] as happened to so-and-so.
And He shall put you to death. Everlasting death.
"And to his servants He will call another name" – a good name and a memorial for a blessing.
Ibn Ezra
“And you shall set your name as an oath.” These are like the cases of “May He make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab” (Jeremiah 29:22), and when one person says to another, “May God kill you.”
"He shall call another name. Honorable:"
Radak
And you shall leave. He said this regarding the punishment of the body, for no one knows the punishment of the soul. Rather, the explanation is: when you die the death of the body by the sword, you will leave behind your name as an oath and a curse, the opposite of the righteous person, about whom it is written, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing.” But you—your name will be remembered as a curse, for the chosen ones will curse by you; whoever curses will say, “May it be thus and so,” and “May God kill you,” just as He killed so-and-so and so-and-so, as was said concerning Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon cursed, as it is stated about them: “And he took a curse from them for all the exiles of Judah who were in Babylon, saying, ‘May God make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned with fire.’”
“And to his servants He gave another name.” This is the opposite: that their name and memory after them shall be for a blessing, and people shall be blessed by them, as it is said, “Thus shall men bless in Israel, saying, ‘God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’”
Regarding "an oath": Just as it is with a curse. And so it is stated in Sotah: "The Lord will make you a curse and an oath," for in an oath a person mentions a curse, as a person says in his oath, "May I be such and such if I have done this." And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: "And the Lord will kill you and your children with a second death."
Metzudat David
"And you shall leave your name." After you die, you will leave your name to be used as an oath by the righteous, His chosen ones, for they will say in their oaths, "If I do such a thing, may God make me like those wicked ones," such as "May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Achav," etc. (Jeremiah 29:22).
"And I will put you to death." Each one of you will die an eternal death, through the destruction of the soul in the World to Come.
“And to His servants.” But for His servants who cleave to Him, He will call them by another name, for honor and glory, as it is stated: “And you shall be called the priests of the Lord” (above, 61).
Malbim
"And you shall be an oath and a curse": You shall not die immediately; rather, first you shall become an oath and a curse, so that through the majority of the afflictions that befall you, people will swear by you, saying, "So may it happen to so-and-so." Afterwards, "the Lord will kill you": each and every one of you shall die by a strange death. Afterwards, "He will call the name of His servants": whoever had a name like the name of the wicked, He will change his name. The meaning is that your becoming an oath and a curse will only be at the beginning, for afterwards He will kill you and change the names of His servants until your names are absolutely forgotten, so that there shall be no remembrance of you, nor any remembrance of the troubles in general, for afterwards
So that he who blesses himself in the earth Shall bless himself by the God of truth; And he that swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hid from Mine eyes.
verse value 6488
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "and·because" (וְכִ֥י) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "and·because" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·former" (הָרִ֣אשֹׁנ֔וֹת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 293: in·the·land, in·the·land. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "the·blessing-himself" (הַמִּתְבָּרֵ֜ךְ), "shall·bless·himself" (יִתְבָּרֵךְ֙), "and·that·swears" (וְהַנִּשְׁבָּ֣ע). The root ברך appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·because" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "that" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'verily', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Rashi
“Which is blessed in the land.” For it is said, “When My fear shall be upon them all, and the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:9). And whoever boasts and praises himself in the land shall be blessed by the God of truth; he shall boast that he is a servant of the God of truth, the God of truth, who confirmed and kept this promise.
"For the troubles have been forgotten. Therefore they will call Me 'God of truth.'"
Ibn Ezra
"Which, etc." The word "blessed" is not like "and they shall be blessed in him" (Genesis 18:18), for there is a distinction between them:
And the meaning of “to the God of truth” is that all the world should recognize that there is no true God other than Him, for *amen* is derived from the root of belief (Isaiah 25:1), and it is an attribute of the Divine Name. And the meaning is that one confesses that this is the truth, or one prays that one may desire Him to be the truth.
And the sense of "for they were forgotten" is that the troubles which had befallen the righteous, the servants of God, were concealed. For when the wicked saw that troubles were coming upon them, they would mock them and their service.
Radak
"Which is the one who blesses himself." And when will this be? When the chosen ones of the Lord curse the wicked, after the exodus of Israel from exile, and the wicked come in that time to destruction, and all the arrogant and all the doers of evil become like stubble. For in that time, the one who blesses himself in the land will bless himself by the God of Amen, so that no faith and no reverence will remain in the world by which a person will bless and swear, except by the God of Amen alone. And it says "in the land," because throughout the entire world there will be one faith, and it is the faith of the God of Amen. And the meaning of "God of Amen" is like "God of faithfulness," as it is said: "For then I will turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord." And the meaning of "blesses himself" is that he requests the blessing for himself, as it is said: "And all the families of the earth shall bless themselves in your seed," and it did not say, "And they shall be blessed by you." And the one who blesses himself will say, "May the God of Amen bless me, as He blessed so-and-so and so-and-so, the righteous." And likewise, they will swear no oath except by the God of Amen, as it is said: "For to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."
“For the former troubles shall be forgotten.” For until that time, the world was not without troubles and without wars; but in that time there will be peace in the world, as it is said, “And He will speak peace to the nations,” and it is said, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” And so great will the peace be that the former troubles will be forgotten. And in His saying, “And have they been hidden from My eyes?” He showed that everything was from the Lord, for each nation and each nation, not by chance. And likewise, the prophets spoke by the word of the Lord concerning the troubles and the wars upon each nation and each nation before their coming.
Metzudat David
"Those who are blessed in the land." This means that their name will be so greatly magnified that everyone who is blessed and praised in the mouths of people throughout the land will not be praised for anything else, but will be praised solely for this: that he clung to the true God, who believed and kept that promise to magnify the names of those who cling to Him.
"Let them swear by the God of truth." For all will believe in Him, because He believed in His promise; therefore, they should swear by Him. And as it is stated: "And they shall swear by the Lord of Hosts" (above 19:1):
"For they have been forgotten." This means that the goodness will be so complete that all the former troubles they endured while in exile will be forgotten.
"And they are hidden from My eyes." Even such troubles shall be hidden from My eyes, for there will no longer be [such troubles] in the world; thus, they will not be seen.
Metzudat Zion
The one who boasts. The matter of boasting is like [the verse] “One who blesses his neighbor” (Proverbs 27):
Amen. Its meaning is like "truth":
Malbim
He who is blessed in the land shall not be blessed with any success in the world, but only with the God of Amen, for He will be the source of all blessings. And he who swears in the land shall no longer swear by the names of those wicked ones, as was the case initially, when their names were used for oaths and swearing among their people; rather, he shall swear by the God of Amen. For the former troubles will be forgotten and will no longer exist in reality to swear by them, for there will be no memory of trouble at all. And that they were hidden from My eyes—that is to say, until now the troubles stood before My eyes to give reward to the righteous who suffered troubles for nothing; but then they will also be hidden from My eyes, for everyone has already received their reward and punishment, and there will be no memory of past evil at all.
For, behold, I create new heavens And a new earth; And the former things shall not be remembered, Nor come into mind. .
verse value 4135
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֤א, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·former" (הָרִ֣אשֹׁנ֔וֹת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 37: and·not, and·not. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "for·behold·I" (כִּֽי־הִנְנִ֥י), "new" (חֲדָשִׁ֖ים), "they·will·be·remembered" (תִזָּכַ֙רְנָה֙). The root חדש appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "for·behold·I" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "into·mind" (root על, 200x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'new', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־הִנְנִ֥י [for·behold·I] (145) + בוֹרֵ֛א [creating] (209) + שָׁמַ֥יִם [heaven] (390) + חֲדָשִׁ֖ים [new] (362) + וָאָ֣רֶץ [and·earth] (297) + חֲדָשָׁ֑ה [new] (317) + וְלֹ֤א [and·not] (37) + תִזָּכַ֙רְנָה֙ [they·will·be·remembered] (682) + הָרִ֣אשֹׁנ֔וֹת [the·former] (962) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + תַעֲלֶ֖ינָה [they·will·go·up] (565) + עַל־לֵֽב [into·mind] (132) = 4135.
Rashi
“New heavens.” The ministering angels above will be renewed, and the princes of Israel will become the superior princes, while the princes of the nations will be the inferior ones; and so it will be on earth. And there are those who say that it refers to actual new heavens, and this is the primary view, as the verse proves: “When the new heavens…” (see below, 66).
Ibn Ezra
"Ki, etc." Some say that the meaning of "ki" is "as if," and Rabbi Yehudah the Grammarian [Hayyuj], may he rest in Eden, said that the meaning of the creation of the heavens and the earth pertains to the particulars. The correct explanation is that the heavens are the firmament, and God will renew good air so that human beings will be healthy in their bodies and live many years. He will also augment the power of the earth, and behold, it is renewed. As for those who say that this is an allusion to the World to Come, this does not cohere with the passage, for there is no eating in the World to Come, as our ancient Sages of blessed memory taught [Berakhot 17a]. This alone is the truth.
"HaRishonot" (The First Ones). Some say this refers to the troubles, and this is the correct interpretation. Others say it refers to the heavens and the earth, but there is no sense to be found in this interpretation, as evidenced by the verse that follows it.
Radak
“For behold, I.” Because of the abundance of goodness that will be, it will be as if the world were new, new heavens and a new earth, as it is stated, “And the former things shall not be remembered,” meaning the former troubles, as we have said. And the wise Rabbi Abraham interpreted “new heavens” as referring to the firmament; he said that God will renew the air to be good, so that people will be healthy and live many years, and He will also increase the strength of the earth, and thus it will be new. And according to his interpretation, this would apply to all nations; yet the verse states, “For as the days of the tree shall be the days of My people,” referring not to other nations.
Metzudat David
"For behold, I create new heavens, etc." This means that there will be an abundance of good in the world, as if a new world were created, in which no troubles will be found. Alternatively, the words are to be taken literally, as it is stated below: "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall endure before Me" (Isaiah 66:22).
"And you shall not remember the former ones." This means that due to the abundance of goodness that will then exist, the former troubles will not be remembered.
"And they shall not come up upon the heart." The doubling of the matter is stated in what is written:
Malbim
For behold, I am creating new heavens: the heavens and the earth that currently exist were created according to a certain constitution and nature, wherein it is impossible for good to be perpetual without evil, for the primeval matter as a whole constantly sheds one form and dons another, and existence is impossible without absence; likewise, the humors that come into being through the motion of the heavens—it is impossible that evil should not also be found therein, as with all things that change and alter their forms. But then their matter will be different in its nature from what it has been until now, to the extent that no evil or absence whatsoever will be found, to the extent that the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind, for they will not be able to conceive for themselves any absence, death, or evil whatsoever, for this will not be in the nature of reality; and all of this is for the increase of good and success.
But be you glad and rejoice for ever In that which I create; For, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, And her people a joy.
verse value 3827
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּי֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "but·be·glad" (כִּֽי־אִם־שִׂ֤ישֽׂוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 209: creating, creating. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "but·be·glad" (כִּֽי־אִם־שִׂ֤ישֽׂוּ), "rejoicing" (גִּילָ֖הֿ), "and·her·people" (וְעַמָּ֥הּ). The root ברא appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "that" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "and·her·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'creating', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־אִם־שִׂ֤ישֽׂוּ [but·be·glad] (687) + וְגִ֙ילוּ֙ [and·be·glad] (55) + עֲדֵי־עַ֔ד [until·perpetuity] (158) + אֲשֶׁ֖ר [that] (501) + אֲנִ֣י [I] (61) + בוֹרֵ֑א [creating] (209) + כִּי֩ [for] (30) + הִנְנִ֨י [they] (115) + בוֹרֵ֧א [creating] (209) + אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֛ם [Jerusalem] (987) + גִּילָ֖הֿ [rejoicing] (48) + וְעַמָּ֥הּ [and·her·people] (121) + מָשֽׂוֹשׂ [exultation] (646) = 3827.
Ibn Ezra
“For ever and ever (adei ad).” [It means] long years, for behold, afterward he will die, and behold, the Creator of Jerusalem will prove that creation does not bring something from nothing, as all the commentators said, but it is from the root of “renewing.”
Radak
"Only if they shall exult." It says that opposite Israel, He will say to them: "Exult and rejoice forever because of the abundance of goodness." He will not say to them any other matter, meaning any evil thing, but only this good matter.
"Which I create." The interpretation is: anew, for the new thing is called creation, as in "In the beginning God created" etc., and if God creates a creation:
For behold, I will create Jerusalem a joy. That there shall be joy there, and with her, gladness; and he mentioned Jerusalem specifically, for even though there will be peace throughout the world, Jerusalem will be the main thing, and from there peace will go forth to the world, and the Torah and the good way for which there will be peace, as it said concerning the Messiah King, “and he will speak peace to the nations,” and it said, “and many peoples will go and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion will go forth the Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” And great goodness and peace and length of days will be in Jerusalem and in the Land of Israel, as it said, “The mountain of the Lord’s house will be established as the chief of the mountains, and it will be raised above the hills.”
Metzudat David
“Only that they shall rejoice.” This means: He will not say to you anything other than, “Rejoice and be glad forever,” because I am the One who creates joy, and it shall endure forever.
He creates Jerusalem as an exile. I will renew the name of Jerusalem to be called “Exile,” and I will renew the name of its inhabitants to be called “Joy.”
Metzudat Zion
"and rejoice." The matter of joy:
"Forever." "Everlasting" means forever, as in "Trust in the Lord forever" (above 26:4).
Malbim
But if there is rejoicing, there is a distinction between *simhah* (joy) and *gilah* (exultation): *simhah* is the performance of actual deeds to manifest happiness, such as the joy of timbrels, the joy of the harp, wearing festive garments, and the like; whereas *gilah* is in the heart. However, *gilah* differs from *simhah* in that *gilah* denotes sudden happiness upon hearing new tidings that have been announced to him. Now, it is impossible for *gilah* to be perpetual, for besides the fact that even perpetual *simhah* is impossible due to human nature itself—that one who rejoices constantly over perpetual good will eventually regard that good as commonplace and cease to rejoice in it—how much more so is perpetual *gilah* inconceivable, since *gilah* exists only at the moment of the renewal of the tidings. Yet, it shall be that the rejoicing and the exultation shall be forever, continuous without interruption. Now, in this present time, it is inconceivable that a person should exult only over something that was initially lacking to him, or over something that was missing from another person, for a person does not exult over having eyes and a mouth. But then, there will be no lack at all, only existence, and nevertheless there will be perpetual exultation. I say that this exultation which I am creating will not be over the lack of creation, but rather over creation in general, and this itself will be a new creation in which they will exult and rejoice in a manner that is now inconceivable according to human nature. And regarding this it says, “For behold, I create Jerusalem for exultation,” meaning that Jerusalem itself will be perpetual exultation through the Divine Presence and the Divine light that will be revealed in it. And the external signs that will be made to manifest this exultation will be the people themselves, as if through the people, their success, and their multitude, the exultation will be revealed, like one who shows his joy through wearing festive garments; and this is [what is meant by] “and her people for rejoicing.”
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; And the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, Nor the voice of crying.
verse value 3211
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. Verse gematria: 3211 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "in·her" (בָּהּ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·Jerusalem" (בִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·will·rejoice" (וְגַלְתִּ֥י), "and·I·will·exult" (וְשַׂשְׂתִּ֣י), "in·my·people" (בְעַמִּ֑י). The root קול appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·my·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "and·not·will·be·heard" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "again" (root עוד, 44x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·my·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְגַלְתִּ֥י [and·I·will·rejoice] (449) + בִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם [in·Jerusalem] (588) + וְשַׂשְׂתִּ֣י [and·I·will·exult] (1016) + בְעַמִּ֑י [in·my·people] (122) + וְלֹא־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע [and·not·will·be·heard] (457) + בָּהּ֙ [in·her] (7) + ע֔וֹד [again] (80) + ק֥וֹל [voice] (136) + בְּכִ֖י [weeping·of] (32) + וְק֥וֹל [and·voice·of] (142) + זְעָקָֽה [cry] (182) = 3211.
Ibn Ezra
“The sound of weeping.” For a corpse or one who died untimely, for the verse that follows is proof.
Radak
"And I will dwell in Jerusalem." Therefore, there will be gladness in that place, for I will rejoice in it because they will do My will there and My Glory will dwell there. And likewise, there will be joy with them, that I will rejoice in them, that they will be My servants, My chosen ones, and doers of My desire.
“The voice of weeping and the voice of crying.” This refers to when people weep in the city over a death that occurred untimely, or over a corpse, or over captives who were taken captive from the city. And none of this will be, for there will be no sword and no war, and natural death will not occur except for those of advanced years, who will be full of days when they die, so that no one will weep for them. And behold, the explanation is found in the verse that follows.
Metzudat David
“And I will dwell in Jerusalem.” For when Jerusalem was in ruins and its people in exile, there was no joy before the Omnipresent; therefore it says: When it will be rebuilt and its people will be in a good state, there will be joy before the Omnipresent.
"And he shall not hear, etc." – For troubles will no longer come upon them.
Metzudat Zion
"And I will rejoice." From the root of "to reveal" (gilah):
Malbim
“And I will be glad” — I will rejoice with a new joy through Jerusalem, for in it I will always see anew My signs and wonders; “and I will delight in My people” — through My people I will cause the signs of joy to be seen before many nations, as stated above. And the voice of weeping shall be heard no more, nor the voice of crying. Weeping is that which is done for a calamity that has already come and occurred, whereas crying out is when one cries for salvation regarding a disaster that is imminent and approaching. Weeping is mostly for the dead and the like, while crying out is for a matter from which there is deliverance, as will be explained.
There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man, That has not filled his days; For the youngest shall die a hundred years old, And the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.
verse value 3892
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 74 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·shall·be" (לֹא־יִהְיֶ֨ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 355: year, year. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "injustice" (ע֤וּל), "not·fill" (לֹֽא־יְמַלֵּ֖א), "his·days" (אֶת־יָמָ֑יו). The root יום appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "not·shall·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "that" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·days', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 9 words.
Rashi
“Ul yamim.” A na’ar is like an oolel (Lamentations 2); “ul yamim” means one who is young in years.
"He shall die at the age of one hundred years." Let him be subject to punishment, so as to be liable for the death penalty for a transgression that carries the death penalty. This is the explanation given in Bereshit Rabbah.
"May he be cursed." In a transgression that requires excommunication:
Ibn Ezra
"Not, etc." Behold, this Torah portion teaches that those who return to Zion in the days of the Messiah will live many years. And behold, the old man will complete his days, which is the allotted span for living, just as the ancients did, from Adam until Noah. Likewise, the infant, who is in the early years of life, and the deceased who dies at the age of one hundred years. If he dies, he is cursed; but if he lives fewer than these years, they will say of him that his mind has not yet been perfected. This is what is said: "He died while still a youth," and the sinner, if he is a hundred years old. Scripture is proof that the end of the world will return to its beginning.
Radak
"He shall not be from there." From Jerusalem, and the same law applies to all of the Land of Israel; but Jerusalem is the principal place and the head of the Kingdom of Israel. And the meaning of "from there" is that when it says "he shall not be," it means he shall not go forth from there for burial.
“Ole.” A youth, like “olel” and “zaken,” for at the age of sixty one is considered old, and indeed he is old, yet he has not completed his days until he is seventy years old. This applies in the present era, but in that time they would not say that an old man has completed his days until he is three hundred or five hundred years old and more, as were the generations of the first ones at the beginning of the creation of the world. Those lifespans were either the general rule or applied to individuals, and in the future to come it will be the general rule for all Israel.
"For the youth shall die at the age of a hundred years." If a person dies at the age of a hundred years, and this is due to his sin, they will say of him, "A youth has died." And he explained this by saying, "And the sinner, at the age of a hundred years, shall be cursed," meaning that God’s curse will be upon him, and he is a sinner when he dies at the age of a hundred years.
Metzudat David
Let there not be from there. One should not go from there to bury a person who is young in years, and even an elder who has not completed all his days shall not die either; for then the days of man will be lengthened in a wondrous lengthening.
"For the youth, a hundred years old, shall die." The meaning is: If one who is a hundred years old were to die, they would say about him, "A youth has died."
And the sinner. The one who is cut off from the world, when he is a hundred years old, it shall be counted as a curse, for he is still considered a youth according to the majority of the lifespans of people that will be then. And this is a repetition of the matter stated above.
Metzudat Zion
"Ul yamim" (young in days). A young child in days, and it is from the language of "olel" (infant); and likewise, "the woman who is an olah" (above, 49a).
"He shall not fill." – "He shall not complete."
And the sinner. The matter of the deficiency is like [the verse] “the breakers are broken” (Job 41:25):
Malbim
“‘There shall not be’—this explains what was stated above, that one will not hear the sound of weeping for a dead person. For in this present era, it is conceivable that people will weep for a dead person who died before his time. But in the future, there will no longer be found a “man of days” who did not fill his days, nor an old man who did not fill his days. For in this present era, one finds an old man who did not fill his days; this refers to one who died due to the exhaustion of the root humors and the natural power, which is termed “old age.” In this present era, one may become an old man prematurely, such as one whose powers weakened while he was only fifty years old. He did not fill his days, for the natural lifespan of man, if he were to die solely from old age, is to live up to nine hundred years, as was the case in the earlier generations. Thus, this person, who died not from any other cause but from old age—meaning the exhaustion of his root power and humors—did not fill his days in terms of old age. For a person like this, upon whom no other accident befell to cause death through illness or another cause, but who died from old age, could have lived up to nine hundred years. Similarly, in this present era, one finds a “man of days” who did not fill his days; this refers to one who died while still a youth. This occurs for two reasons: either due to illness or the like, or due to sin. In either case, he did not fill his days according to his measure, for he died before his time. Even if he sinned, he was punished before his time. But in the future, there will be found neither a “man of days” who did not fill his days, nor an old man who did not fill his days. For even a youth who dies in his youth will be at least one hundred years old. This is because the curse upon a sinner is that he shall not reach the age of punishment before he is one hundred years old; prior to this time, he will not be punished by the judgments of Heaven.
And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; And they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
verse value 1684
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "and·they·will·build" (וּבָנ֥וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·shall·dwell" (וְיָשָׁ֑בוּ, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·shall·dwell" (וְיָשָׁ֑בוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·shall·dwell" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah); "houses" (root בית, 67x in Isaiah); "and·they·shall·eat" (root אכל, 55x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·shall·dwell', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וּבָנ֥וּ [and·they·will·build] (64) + בָתִּ֖ים [houses] (452) + וְיָשָׁ֑בוּ [and·shall·dwell] (324) + וְנָטְע֣וּ [and·they·will·plant] (141) + כְרָמִ֔ים [vineyards] (310) + וְאָכְל֖וּ [and·they·shall·eat] (63) + פִּרְיָֽם [their·fruit] (330) = 1684.
Ibn Ezra
And they shall build, etc. The meaning is that they shall be secure, for there is no enemy; and the verse that follows is proof; or its meaning is that they shall build houses and dwell in them for many years, and not as in times of war.
Radak
"And they shall build houses and dwell in them." In them [they shall dwell] all the days of the building's standing and beyond; likewise, "and they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit," [they shall eat the fruit] all the days that they bear fruit. And he explained the matter and said:
Metzudat David
“And they built houses and dwelt in them.” They shall not die before the building is completed, until they dwell in them; and so too, “and they planted vineyards,” etc.
Malbim
"And their sons, after they do not die before their time, those who build houses will dwell in them themselves, and those who plant vineyards will themselves eat their fruit."
They shall not build, and another inhabit, They shall not plant, and another eat; For as the days of a tree shall be the days of My people, And Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
verse value 2251
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·as·days·of" (כִּֽי־כִימֵ֤י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 215: and·another, and·another. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "they·will·build" (יִבְנוּ֙), "they·will·plant" (יִטְּע֖וּ), "for·as·days·of" (כִּֽי־כִימֵ֤י). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "for·as·days·of" (root יום, 124x in Isaiah); "my·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·eat', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Rashi
As the days of the tree. The Targum: the Tree of Life:
Ibn Ezra
"As the days of the tree" – that it will stand for many years, like the carob tree; and others [interpret it differently]:
And the meaning of “and the works of their hands shall be consumed” is that there are deeds which a person performs and they become old, yet they appear new, like a building and writing. These are the “chosen ones.” They are workers:
Radak
They shall not build. For just as the days of the tree that they plant, so shall their days be, as it is stated, “They shall not plant and another shall eat,” and it is stated, “My people and My chosen ones, for to them alone shall the lengthening of days belong,” and this is by way of a sign, not for the other nations. And the Targum of Jonathan translated: “For as the days of the tree, so the days of the tree of life.” And it is possible that he intended this in accordance with what our Sages of blessed memory said: “The tree of life is a journey of five hundred years.”
"My chosen shall long outlive (yevallu)." That the work of their hands shall grow old in their own days, as it said: "they shall not build and another inhabit."
Metzudat David
“And another shall dwell.” This refers to the fact that they used to die before they could dwell in it themselves, so another would dwell there instead.
"For as the days of the tree." Like the days, meaning the duration of time, of the standing of the tree that endures for a long time, like a terebinth tree and the like; like the days of this tree shall be the days of My people.
And a certain incident, etc. For there are deeds that a person performs, and he grows old, yet they still appear new, like a building and its inscription. Therefore it says, “My chosen people, the works of their hands shall grow weary,” meaning that they themselves will appear youthful and strong, while the works of their hands will grow old and decay in their lifetime.
Metzudat Zion
יבלו. The meaning is old age (זוקן), as in יבלו in "they shall spend their days in good" (ibid. 21):
Malbim
"One shall not build and afterward settle, whether the heir or strangers, nor shall they plant a plantation and afterward eat its fruit, even though the plantation endures longer than the building, for 'As the days of the tree, so shall the days of My people be prolonged; as the days of the tree, so shall their days be lengthened.' Therefore, 'The work of their hands shall perish in the wilderness,' for if one plants a plantation, the planter will not die, and moreover the tree remains standing until another eats its fruit, for 'His days shall be lengthened as the days of the tree that he planted.'"
They shall not labour in vain, Nor bring forth for terror; For they are the seed blessed of Hashem, And their offspring with them.
verse value 1934
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·their·offspring" (וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֖ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 50: they·will·bear, abundance. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "they·will·bear" (יֵלְד֖וּ), "to·the·terror" (לַבֶּהָלָ֑ה), "blessed·of" (בְּרוּכֵ֤י). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·terror', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: לֹ֤א [not] (31) + יִֽיגְעוּ֙ [they·will·toil] (99) + לָרִ֔יק [to·no·purpose] (340) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + יֵלְד֖וּ [they·will·bear] (50) + לַבֶּהָלָ֑ה [to·the·terror] (72) + כִּ֣י [for] (30) + זֶ֜רַע [seed] (277) + בְּרוּכֵ֤י [blessed·of] (238) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + הֵ֔מָּה [abundance] (50) + וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֖ם [and·their·offspring] (243) + אִתָּֽם [with·them] (441) = 1934.
Ibn Ezra
"And not, etc." The meaning is: "Their children shall not die," for God blessed them and blessed their children to be with them.
Radak
They shall not labor in vain. This is the opposite of what was said in the curse: “You shall sow your seed in vain, and your enemies shall eat it.” He said to them: All their labor shall be for a blessing, for no enemy shall come to consume their labor, nor shall blight and mildew afflict it.
"And they shall not give birth in haste." This means that their sons will not die during their lifetime, causing them to be distressed by their deaths.
"And their offspring shall be with you." All their days shall be with them, for they shall not die during their lifetimes. And the matter is repeated in different words:
Metzudat David
"They shall not labor in vain." This means that their labor shall not be in vain; namely, their children shall not die during their lifetime.
“L’bahalah.” To die in their lifetime, to terrify them. And the matter is repeated in what is stated:
“Ki zera.” “Ki zera’am hem zera’ barukhei Hashem” – they are the seed of those blessed by the Lord, and they shall not die in a short span of years.
"And their offspring are with them." All their days, their offspring will be with them, for they will not die during their lifetimes. And the matter is repeated in what is stated:
Malbim
No, from this side they will not labor in vain by sowing and another eating, which would be labor in vain; nor will they give birth in haste by their children dying. And he explains: In contrast to “they shall not labor in vain,” it says, “for the seed of the blessed of the Lord shall be,” until [the verse states] “and their days shall be prolonged, and the work of their hands shall not wear out.” And in contrast to “they shall not give birth in haste,” it says, “for their descendants shall be with them, alive and enduring.” (Until now he explained what is stated: “they shall not hear the voice of weeping,” which is over the dead before their time or over the death of children. Now he begins to explain what is stated: “they shall not hear the voice of a cry for salvation.”) The reason they will not cry out is because...
And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer, And while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
verse value 1684
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "abundance" (הֵ֥ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "before·they·call" (טֶרֶם־יִקְרָ֖אוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 67: and·I, and·I. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "before·they·call" (טֶרֶם־יִקְרָ֖אוּ), "I·will·answer" (אֶעֱנֶ֑ה), "I·will·hear" (אֶשְׁמָֽע). The root אני appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "I·will·hear" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "speaking" (root דבר, 88x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·answer', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֥ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + טֶרֶם־יִקְרָ֖אוּ [before·they·call] (566) + וַאֲנִ֣י [and·I] (67) + אֶעֱנֶ֑ה [I·will·answer] (126) + ע֛וֹד [still] (80) + הֵ֥ם [abundance] (45) + מְדַבְּרִ֖ים [speaking] (296) + וַאֲנִ֥י [and·I] (67) + אֶשְׁמָֽע [I·will·hear] (411) = 1684.
Ibn Ezra
"And it came to pass before they called." According to my understanding, "before" (terem) is like "still" (od); and if it comes with the additional letter bet, it is like "before" (kodem). The meaning is: All that they will ask of Me, I will give to them.
Radak
"And it shall be." The opposite of what is stated regarding the exile: "You have screened Yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through."
Before they call. Sometimes it is before they call, and sometimes it is while they are still speaking:
Metzudat David
"And it shall be before they call". At times, I will answer them to fulfill the desires of their hearts even before they call out in prayer with their mouths; at times, when they are still engaged in prayer, I will hear them to grant their requests.
Metzudat Zion
I will answer. The matter of response:
Malbim
And it shall be, before they call, I will answer; and they will not need to cry out at all. And not only that, but even before they speak their needs among themselves, I will hear and fulfill the desire of their hearts, so that I will not wait for the calling at all. This is the second point: for no voice of crying out shall be heard, since there will be no harm in the world at all, for even the predatory animals will not cause harm, and all the more so human beings. And this is what is written:
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, And the lion shall eat straw like the ox; And dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, Says Hashem.
verse value 4260
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "wolf" (זְאֵ֨ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·destroy" (וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁחִ֛יתוּ, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·lamb" (וְטָלֶ֜ה), "as·one" (כְאֶחָ֗ד), "and·serpent" (וְנָחָ֖שׁ). The root רעה appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "in·all·mountain·of" (root כל, 93x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·bread', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Rashi
"He shall eat straw." And he will not need to cause harm to the animal.
And a serpent. For him, the dust of his food is constantly at hand. And in an aggadic exposition: “And the lion shall eat straw like oxen,” because we find that Esau falls into the hands of the sons of Joseph, as it is stated: “The house of Esau shall be stubble, and the house of Joseph shall be fire” (Obadiah 1:18). But into the hands of the sons of the other tribes, who are likened to wild beasts, we do not find this. Therefore it is said: “And the lion shall eat straw like oxen”—those tribes that are likened to a lion, such as Judah and Dan, just like Joseph who is likened to an ox, shall eat him who is likened to straw.
Ibn Ezra
"And the wolf..." The meaning is "peace," and according to the opinion of many, the Name will remove the offspring of the wolf, and the proof is: "As an ox, it shall eat straw."
And the meaning of “a serpent shall eat earth for its food” is according to its species, and not another thing, and the reason is that it shall not harm.
All these prophecies are destined to occur in the Land of Israel alone, as it is written: “In all My holy mountains” (Isaiah 65:25).
Radak
"A wolf and a lamb." We have already explained this matter in the portion of "A rod shall come forth."
“And dust shall be his food.” Just as it was, and not something else; that is to say, it shall not bite any person from among Israel, as is explained: “They shall do no evil nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” which refers to the Land of Israel. And the Torah compared it to a serpent, the interpretation being that its food shall be nothing but a type that is dust, as it is said, “For dust you are,” whereas regarding Israel it is said at that time, “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.” And behold, [Israel] is not dust, and the serpent shall not bite his heel.
Metzudat David
They shall pasture together. And the wolf shall not devour the lamb, for even the predatory beasts shall no longer devour, as it is stated above: “And the wolf shall dwell...” (above, 11:6).
“Like an ox.” Just as an ox eats straw, so too will the lion eat.
"And a serpent shall eat dust for its bread." Behold, dust shall be its food, as in its origin and nature, and it shall not harm anyone.
"They shall not do harm." – They shall not do wrong to anyone, nor shall they harm anyone.
“On all My holy mountains.” This refers to the Land of Israel.
"Said the Lord." Thus it says: "The Lord says."
Metzudat Zion
They shall pasture. The word is in the form of "pasturing."
His bread. Food:
They shall pasture. From the term for “pasture” (ra’ah):
Malbim
"The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and he shall not harm it; and even the nature of the predators shall be reversed, so that the lion shall eat straw and shall not eat meat at all; and even the serpent shall have dust for its food, as it was, and shall not harm. And it explains: opposite the wolf and the lion, who harmed for their needs, now they shall not harm [for predatory needs]. Opposite the serpent, which harmed only to destroy, it says, 'and they shall not destroy in all My holy mountain.'"
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Malbim